ABSTRACT
With the growth of esports has come too concerns about the health and wellness of the player. Injuries, for instance, are now being noted among competitive players as, in order to succeed at gaming on a competitive level, athletes typically play for many hours a day. Practices also take place in environments that have inappropriate lighting, engender poor posture, and challenging time awareness. The results are serious overuse injuries. Concurrently, there are important benefits that can accrue from participation with most of these primarily in the social realm. The challenge then is to create an environment that enhances health benefits while allowing the athletes to pursue their chosen sport and minimise health concerns. In this chapter, issues related to the health of esports competitors will be reviewed including those focusing on physiology and mental health along with the benefits of participation. The chapter will conclude with recommendations and current best practices.
